Metal-on-metal articulations have fallen out of favour in larger joint replacements, but are still used in smaller joints. Coating the articulation has been suggested as one way of reducing wear. We compared a standard 6 mm CrCoMo articulation designed for the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb with a chromium nitride-coated version after 512,000 cycles in a joint simulator. A total of 6 articulations in each group were tested with a unidirectional load of 5 kg in Ringer’s solution. We found a statistically significant reduction in weight loss, amount of metallic wear produced and volumetric wear for the chromium nitride-coated articulation. Our findings support the use of chromium nitride coating in order to minimize the amount of metallic wear produced.
BarbourPSStoneMHFisherJ.A hip joint simulator study using simplified loading and motion cycles generating physiological wear paths and rates. Proc IMechE, Part H: J Engineering in Medicine. 1999, 213: 455–67.
2.
BlackJ.Biological performance of materials: fundamentals of biocompatibility, 4th Edn.New York, Taylor & Francis Group, 2006.
3.
BoneMCCunninghamJLLordJGiddinsGFieldJJoyceTJ.Analysis of failed Van Straten LPM proximal interphalangeal prostheses. J Hand Surg Eur. 2012, 38: 313–20.
4.
BozentkaDJ.Implant arthroplasty of the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb. Hand Clin. 2010, 26: 327–37.
5.
ChakrabartiAJRobinsonAHGallagherP.De la caffiniere thumb carpometacarpal replacements. 93 cases at 6 to 16 years follow-up. J Hand Surg Br. 1997, 22: 695–8.
6.
de la CaffiniereJYAucouturierP.Trapezio-metacarpal arthroplasty by total prosthesis. Hand. 1979, 11: 41–6.
7.
FirkinsPJTipperJLInghamEStoneMHFarrarRFisherJ. Influence of simulator kinematics on the wear of metal-on-metal hip prostheses. Proc IMechE, Part H: J Engineering in Medicine. 2001a, 215: 119–21.
8.
FirkinsPJTipperJLSaadatzadehMR. Quantitative analysis of wear and wear debris from metal-on-metal hip prostheses tested in a physiological hip joint simulator. Biomed Mater Eng. 2001b, 11: 143–57.
9.
FisherJInghamE.Biological reactions to wear debris in total joint replacement. Proc IMechE, Part H: J Engineering in Medicine. 2000, 214: 21–37.
10.
FisherJHuXQTipperJL. An in vitro study of the reduction in wear of metal-on-metal hip prostheses using surface-engineered femoral heads. Proc IMechE, Part H: J Engineering in Medicine. 2002, 216: 219–30.
11.
FrolichCHansenTB.Complications related to metal-on-metal articulation in trapeziometacarpal joint total joint arthroplasty. J Funct Biomater. 2015, 6: 318–27.
12.
HansenTBDremstrupLStillingM.Patients with metal-on-metal articulation in trapeziometacarpal total joint arthroplasty may have elevated serum chrome and cobalt. J Hand Surg Eur. 2013, 38: 860–5.
13.
HansenTBSnerumL.Elektra trapeziometacarpal prosthesis for treatment of osteoarthrosis of the basal joint of the thumb. Scand J Plast Reconstr Surg Hand Surg. 2008, 42: 316–9.
14.
HeathJCFreemanMASwansonSA.Carcinogenic properties of wear particles from prostheses made in cobalt-chromium alloy. Lancet. 1971, 1: 564–6.
15.
HuangKHollevoetNGiddinsG.Thumb carpometacarpal joint total arthroplasty: a systematic review. J Hand Surg Eur. 2015, 40: 338–50.
16.
HultquistGSeoMLeitnerTLeygrafCSatoN.The dissolution behaviour of iron, chromium, molybdenum and copper from pure metals and from ferritic stainless steels. Corros Sci. 1987, 27: 937–46.
17.
JahnJJanesWESaheb-Al-ZamaniMBurbankCMBrownJMEngsbergJR.Identification of three movement phases of the hand during lateral and pulp pinches using video motion capture. Hand (NY). 2013, 8: 123–31.
18.
JantzenCJorgensenHLDuusBRSporringSLLauritzenJB.Chromium and cobalt ion concentrations in blood and serum following various types of metal-on-metal hip arthroplasties: a literature overview. Acta Orthop. 2013, 84: 229–36.
19.
JoyceTJUnsworthA.A test procedure for artificial finger joints. Proc IMechE, Part H: J Engineering in Medicine. 2002, 216: 105–10.
20.
KhanMKuiperJHRichardsonJB.Can cobalt levels estimate in-vivo wear of metal-on-metal bearings used in hip arthroplasty?Proc IMechE, Part H: J Engineering in Medicine. 2007, 221: 929–42.
21.
KlahnANygaardMGvozdenovicRBoeckstynsME.Elektra prosthesis for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis: a follow-up of 39 consecutive cases. J Hand Surg Eur. 2012, 37: 605–9.
22.
LainialaOEloPReitoAPajamakiJPuolakkaTEskelinenA.Comparison of extracapsular pseudotumors seen in magnetic resonance imaging and in revision surgery of 167 failed metal-on-metal hip replacements. Acta Orthop. 2014, 85: 474–9.
23.
LancasterJGIsaacGHDowsonDGoldsmithAAJ. A comparative joint simulator study of the wear of metal-on-metal and alternative material combinations in hip replacements. Proc IMechE, Part H: J Engineering in Medicine. 2000, 214: 39–47.
24.
LeeSHBrennanFRJacobsJJUrbanRMRagasaDRGlantTT.Human monocyte/macrophage response to cobalt-chromium corrosion products and titanium particles in patients with total joint replacements. J Orthop Res. 1997, 15: 40–9.
25.
MaloneyWJSmithRLCastroFSchurmanDJ.Fibroblast response to metallic debris in vitro. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1993, 75: 835–44.
26.
MaskiewiczVKWilliamsPAPratesSJBowsherJGClarkeIC.Characterization of protein degradation in serum-based lubricants during simulation wear testing of metal-on-metal hip prostheses. J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater. 2010, 94: 429–40.
27.
NaylorABoneMCUnsworthATalwalkarSCTrailIAJoyceTJ.In vitro wear testing of the pyrocarbon proximal interphalangeal joint replacement: five million cycles of flexion and extension. Proc IMechE, Part H: J Engineering in Medicine.2015, 229: 362–8.
28.
ProkopovichP. Interactions between mammalian cells and nano- or micro-sized wear particles: physico-chemical views against biological approaches. Adv Colloid Interface Sci. 2014, 213: 36–47.
29.
RajpuraAKendoffDBoardTN.The current state of bearing surfaces in total hip replacement. Bone Joint J. 2014, 96: 147–56.
30.
RegnardPJ.Electra trapezio metacarpal prosthesis: results of the first 100 cases. J Hand Surg Br. 2006, 31: 621–8.
31.
ReigstadO.Wrist arthroplasty: bone fixation, clinical development and mid to long term results. Acta Orthop Suppl. 2014, 85: 1–53.
32.
ScholesSCUnsworthA.The effects of proteins on the friction and lubrication of artificial joints. Proc IMechE, Part H: J Engineering in Medicine. 2006, 220: 687–93.
33.
ThillemannJKThillemannTMMunkBKrønerK.High revision rates with the metal-on-metal Motec carpometacarpal joint prosthesis. J Hand Surg Eur. 2016, 41: 322–7.
34.
Ulrich-VintherMPuggaardHLangeB.Prospective 1-year follow-up study comparing joint prosthesis with tendon interposition arthroplasty in treatment of trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis. J Hand Surg Am. 2008, 33: 1369–77.
35.
YanYNevilleADowsonD.Biotribocorrosion—an appraisal of the time dependence of wear and corrosion interactions: II. Surface analysis. J Phys D Appl Phys. 2006, 39: 3206–12.
